Five Words: Beauty, Berries, Smoke, Dreams, and Lovely
by Thisty
Summary: Another challenge entry for SecretClan. If you want to join SecretClan, PM me and I'll give you the link. I'm also part of ImagineClan, ExplosionClan, FunClan, and YewClan. If you want to join any or all of those, PM me and I'll give you the link(s)! :)


**Chapter One**

Beauty. That one word ran through Mistystar's mind as she raced over the WindClan moor. She was going back to her own territory after meeting with Onestar. Beauty. That's what she saw as she looked down at the lake, the fading sun being reflected in the rippling surface.

Mistystar thought she'd never see a more beautiful sight in her life, but she was wrong. When the sun started dipping farther behind the horizon, Silverpelt started changing in colors. From a pale, sky blue, to pinks, purples, and oranges. Mistystar slid to a stop to admire the scene before her. She heard a shout behind her and turned to see Reedwhisker racing towards her from the direction of the WindClan camp.

Mistystar figured that her son would like to watch the sun set with her, but they had to get back to the RiverClan camp to tell her Clan the knews. But the beauty was too much for Mistystar. She stared at the surface of the lake, awe-struck as Reedwhisker came to a stop beside her.

"We should be getting back to camp," he mewed quietly.

Mistystar nodded and started walking forward, but not towards the RiverClan camp, towards the lake.

"M-Mistystar," Reedwhisker called out, sounding worried. Mistystar ignored him and continued padding towards the lake. "Where are you going?"

"You know, Reedwhisker," she mewed to her son. "I'm going to the lake so I can enjoy the beauty of it. Do you want to join me?"

"O-okay." His confusion was clear to Mistystar and she continued to walk, the moorland grass under her feet turning to pebbles.

They clacked together as Mistystar and Reedwhisker padded towards the edge of the water. Mistystar only stopped when she felt the water lapping at her paws. Feeling the light Greenleaf breeze blowing through her pelt, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"Isn't it beautiful," Mistystar spoke up after a few moments of silence. Opening her eyes, she looked out across the lake, watching waves form and crash onto the shore.

Reedwhisker nodded. "Yes, it is," he sighed. "But we really should be getting ba-"

"Shush," Mistystar hissed, flattening her ears. "I want to enjoy this beauty in silence."

The RiverClan leader heard her son gulp, but ignored it, watching the lake as the sun sunk even further behind the horizon. It would be dark soon and they'd need to get back to camp as soon as possible, but Mistystar felt herself being pulled towards the lake.

She took a step forward, her paw hitting the surface and water splashed on her fur. Mistystar heard pebbles clack as Reedwhisker jumped to his feet. Mistystar ignored him, continuing to pad forward into the lake. The water was up to her belly by now, sending chills through her body.

She heard yowls echo through the air around her and heard pawsteps pounding down from the moorlands. She guess that Onestar and some of his warriors had spotted her going into the lake. She didn't care, she just kept walking forward into the lake that was shrouded in beauty.

**Chapter Two**

_Berries. Berries. Berries. _Greystripe kept repeating that word in his mind as he raced through the ThunderClan territory. His paws pounded on the leaf-strewn forest floor and the sunlight shone down here and there through the breaks in the thick canopy of the trees.

Before he had left camp, Jayfeather had asked him to find berries. He hadn't specified what kind, but only said not to get the death berries- everyone knew what they looked like because of Firestar's orders for Jayfeather to teach the clan about herbs. So Greystripe had asked Bumblestripe and Blossom fall to help him collect any berries that they could find. Greystripe spotted a bush up ahead of him and slowed down to a trot.

The sun shined off of the blue berries as he padded closer. _Jupiner,_ Greystripe thought as he reached forward to nip some off.

_Berries. Berries._ The skin on one of the berries ripped slightly and the sweet tasting juices dripped onto his tongue. He tried not to swallow the juices because he wasn't sure what exactly they would do to him.

_Berries. Berries._ He started to gather the small branches loaded with berries and set them next to him, gathering the branches into a pile for him to carry back to camp. There was a rustling in the bushes ahead of Greystripe and Bumblestripe and Blossomfall appeared with multiple branches of different colored berries in their jaws.

Greystripe exchanged nods with them and picked up his branches; they filled his mouth and their mouth watering aromas filled his nostrels. Together, he and his kin turned and started to walk back to camp. They hear a loud yowl and, knowing it was Bramblestar, picked up their pace _Berries. Berries._ Greystripe thought as he trotted back to camp.

Greystripe pushed his way through the thorn barrier, the thorns tugging at his pelt, with Bumblestripe and Blossomfall following close behind him. _Berries…does Jayfeather want us to get more?_ He asked himself as he trotted towards the medicine den where Jayfeather sat outside of the entrance.

Once he reached Jayfeather, he sat the branches down and a berry caught on one of his teeth, tearing the skin a bit and having the savory juices trickle on his tongue once more. He tried his best not to swallow the berry's juice. _Berries_, Greystripe sighed in his head. He loved berries but could eat them because he doesn't have proper herb training so he doesn't know which ones are safe or not.

Greystripe looked up to where Bramblestar stood on Highledge, looking down at his Clan. The gray tom sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws, ready to listen to what Bramblestar had to say.

"Cat's of ThunderClan," Bramblestar started. "I would like you to know that Jayfeather needs all the berries he can get. But don't take all berries. Just a few branches here and there."

_Berries._ The word ran through Greystripes mind as Bramblestar paused. It kept repeating itself in his head, continuously. _Berries. Berries. Berries._

**Chapter Three**

Tigerheart raced away from the ShadowClan camp. Smoke blocked his view of his fleeing Clanmates. The Greenleaf sun had caught twigs and dry leaves on fire, causing the cats in the camp to break out into a frenzy. The queens, elders, and kits were the first to be taken out of the camp and towards the lake shore.

Smoke started slinking through the pines trees, crowding around their trunks waiting for a cat to wander into it. Tigerheart always thought that smoke seemed eerie and deadly, always calling his name, inviting him to walk into the dark grey fog. But he never complied to it's wished, only this time, he felt a strong pull towards it, so he slowed down, peering into the smoke that was still creeping after his Clanmates.

"Tigerheart," he heard a soft voice call out and it send chills down his spine. His hackles rose; he wanted to turn around and pelt after his Clanmates, but he couldn't. His feet felt frozen to the ground until he felt the need to wander into the smoke once more.

It was almost like there was something tied to him and someone was on the other side, pulling him towards them. "Tigerheart."

The soft voice came again and his hackles raised even more, his heart starting to race. He figured that every cat that passed by him could hear the pounding of his heart and he thought that it was going to burst out of his chest. He took a shaky step forward, then another one, but this time it wasn't so hesitant. The smoke called his name again, and he perked his ears. This voice sounded familiar, way too familiar.

Curious to find out what it was, he trotted forward into the smoke. It forced it's way into his lungs and he could barley breath. His eyes were squinted and they burned. He shook with a cough as the voice called out again. His heart started to race even more as the smoke closed in on him, shutting him out from the outside world. Suffocating him.

But Tigerheart wouldn't let the smoke take him away from his family. His bond with them was too strong. He backed away, but he felt something pull him forwards once more and his feet froze to the ground, like the smoke had pinned him down. The voice spoke again, this time sounding closer and he felt the breath stir his earfur.

"Tigerheart," it said. "Come join us, my son."

Tigerheart jerked his head back, and looked around, his mind reeling. He gulped and started to back away but felt someone shove him forwards. He whipped around, glaring through the trees, but he found no one.

The smoke started to grow thicker, making it hard to see and blocking everything from his view. Smoke is a deadly thing at times, and for Tigerheart, this was one of those times. Tigerheart started to cough, the smoke choking him, closing in on him more until he could barley breath. Smoke, deadly smoke, black, grey, and hurtful. Smoke.

**Chapter Four**

Spottedleaf tossed and turned in her nest of moss and bracken, trying to fall asleep. But it never came. She sighed loudly and looked up through the ferns at Silverpelt. Her ancestors shined brightly and the moon shone in the night sky. She new that tomorrow there would be a Gathering but she'd be too tired if she couldn't get any sleep tonight.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of tiredness wash over her and- even though she thought it strange- relaxed in its cool waters and let it take her out to sea.

Spottedleaf was surrounded in blackness and she figured that she wasn't dreaming. _Dreams_. She sighed and she felt as if her body was floating in mid-air. _Dreams_. Spottedleaf kept hearing the word repeated in her mind, as if someone was whispering the word into her ear.

_Dreams._ As the word went through her mind again, she saw a flash of a dark ginger pelt, running across the black expanse inside her head. She knew who it was right away. _Firepaw_, she smiled in her dream, and sighed happily as she took off after him.

Ever since Spottedleaf had met Firepaw, she had fallen madly in love with him and had dreamt of him every night. Dreams. So many dreams about him, Spottedleaf could name them all. Dreams, dreams, and more dreams about him and this was one of those nights that she would get to dream about him. Spotedleaf felt so happy as she bounded behind him.

His tail-tip tickled her pink nose and she sneeze. She heard him chuckle and sped up so she was racing beside him, the blackness around her turning into the forest where ThunderClan lives. Firepaw purred as Spottedleaf raced beside him and she felt free again, not like she felt when she was awake, always confined by the Medicine Cat code.

"Firepaw," Spottedleaf breathed and he turned his green gaze onto her. She felt chills shoot up her spine and she slowed down. Looking around, Spottedleaf found that they were in the Sandy Hollow. "I've always wanted to admit this," she paused, looking away, feeling her pelt heat up with embarrassment, "but, I…I love you."

Firepaw looked taken aback and Spottedleaf felt regret starting to burn inside of her. But after a heartbeat, the shock was removed and was replaced with love.

"I love you too, Spottedleaf," he purred and rubbed his cheek on Spottedleaf's jaw.

She entwined her tail with his and relished in the moment before the dream ended. Spottedleaf sighed inwardly. _Dream. That's the only place I can admit to him that I love him. Dreams. Dreams. Dreams._ Spottedleaf couldn't stop repeating the word inside her head. It was as if she was being forced to think it, to get it burned into her mind, to let her know that this is where you can admit the things that you can't admit in the waking world.

Spottedleaf looked up into Firepaw's green eyes and noticed that he was fading away.

"No," she whispered. "No."

The tortoiseshell and white she-cat watched as Firepaw slowly faded away until she was standing alone in the Sandy Hollow. Sighing, she closed her eyes. _Dreams._

**Chapter Five**

Moonflower sighed as she curled up in her nest of moss and bracken that was in the back of the nursery in the ThunderClan camp. Her two kits mewled and squirmed into the crook of her belly, starting to knead her stomach for her milk. It was the end of the last Greenleaf day and tomorrow would be the start of Leaf-fall. The ThunderClan queen watched her kits with loving eyes until a queen spoke up from the other side of the nursery.

"They are lovely, Moonflower," the queen purred.

Moonflower nodded and looked up to face the brown tabby and white she-cat. Swiftbreeze's yellow eyes glowed in the dark den and her two kits wriggled by her side.

"Yes, Swiftbreeze," she mewed softly. "They are so, very lovely."

Swiftbreeze chuckled and laid her head down on her paws, closing her eyes. Moonflower did the same, hoping that she would get a good sleep tonight beside her two lovely daughters. Moonflower let out a faint purr as she felt the kneading of paws stop. She knew her kits were settling down for the night and Moonflower was grateful for it. Usually her kits are the ones who would want to stay up late, but not tonight.

Before Moonflower could let unconsciousness take over her, she felt one of her kits stir and she opened her eyes to see Bluekit standing in front of Moonflower's nose.

"Moonflower," she mewled quietly, her blue eyes shining. "I can't sleep. Snowkit keeps kicking me."

Moonflower chuckled softly and shifted herself in the nest while Snowkit gave a mewl of protest, but quickly fell back asleep.

"Alright," Moonflower sighed. "You may lay here, out of reach of your sister, okay?"

Bluekit nodded and climbed into the nest once more, resting her head on Moonflower's forepaw. The queen licked Bluekit a few times to sooth her before resting her own head on the other silver-grey paw. Sighing, she closed her eyes. _Now may I get some rest?_ She asked herself, grunting. Even though she admired her daughters blue eyes, how lovely they were, she knew that they needed to be closed, shut away from the world, just until it became light once more.

Moonflower envied how lovely her kits are, how beautiful they both were, and how sleek and lithe they were. Even though they were her daughters, she can still envy them, right? _Some mothers do that now and then_, Moonflower thought to herself. _I hope so._

As Moonflower came onto the brim of unconsciousness, one last word ran through her mind before she fell over the edge. Just one small word that could mean a thousand things to one cat. So many different meanings that, that one little word could cause. It could cause two cats to fall in love as it is spoken, it could cause two cats to become rivals if it is spoken in the wrong way…to the wrong cat. But to Moonflower, she knew the real meaning of it and only that one meaning. Lovely.


End file.
